Parliament Is Not Like School Hadi Rebuts Critics On Attendance Record

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GE15 | PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has dismissed criticisms over his frequent absence in Parliament as the MP for Marang, where he is again contesting in GE15.
He said the criticisms do not make a difference to his political standing because Dewan Rakyat is not like school, where one needs to attend daily for the entire session.
“Parliament attendance is not like school attendance. This is something people don’t understand. Ministers don’t just sit around there, just like in school.
“Ministers come in to reply to questions. And then, when that is done, they leave to perform duties elsewhere,” Hadi (above) told reporters in Rusila, Marang, today.
He added he was absent from Parliament to attend to other obligations as an MP.
Although not in cabinet, the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government in 2020 appointed him a special envoy to the Middle East, which accords him the same status as a cabinet minister.
MPs are considered to be in attendance even if they only attend part of the sitting, and are marked as absent if they do not show up at all.
Hadi speaking during the Hudud bill debate in Parliament in April 2017Earlier, Malaysiakini reported that in the five sessions of the Dewan Rakyat from July 2021 to March 2022, Hadi attended only 21 out of the 71 days of sitting.
Others with poor attendance were Warisan president Mohd Shafie Apdal, who only showed up on 20 days while Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin was in attendance for 17 out of the 71 days.
Pejuang’s Dr Mahathir Mohamad was present for 26 days.
MPs with good attendance include DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke and Upko president Wilfred Madius Tangau - who both had full attendance - and Muda president Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman, who only missed one day.
Pakatan Harapan chairperson Anwar Ibrahim attended on 66 out of the 71 days.
‘I used to speak for hours in Parliament’
Hadi’s poor attendance became political fodder again after artist activist Fahmi Reza reviewed the Parliament attendance of the leaders of major political parties of Malaysia in a Kelas Demokrasi session recently.
Commenting further, Hadi said he was also not active in political debates so as to to allow younger MPs, particularly from PAS, to have a chance to speak.
“I have been in Parliament for a long time. You can check the Hansard to see that I have spoken a lot in Parliament.
“I have spoken for one hour straight, even two hours when I was opposition leader, and this has been recorded in the Hansard.
“So I prefer to now give more opportunities for young MPs to take part in the debates because the debates follow party quotas.
“If I speak, then there will be less time for younger MPs, and they won’t be able to speak,” he said.
Hadi has been a constant figure in Marang since 1978, when it was a state assembly seat. It was upgraded to become a parliamentary seat in 1986.
Since then, he has lost in Marang only three times; in 1978, 1986, and 2004.
In the last election, he won with a majority of 21,954 votes. - Mkini

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